


LIFE OF DIGNITY

by kissaterapia



Series: Attack on Titan [1]
Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Armin has social anxiety, College AU, Eren has depression and other problems with mental health, M/M, other tags will be added
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-03-14
Updated: 2021-03-19
Packaged: 2021-03-22 15:29:04
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,759
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/30040818
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kissaterapia/pseuds/kissaterapia
Summary: 19-year-old Eren can't see his life going anywhere. Trapped inside a town between walls forever, he feels even more trapped in the repeating path of going to school and going home. He's made a promise to his late father and he has dedicated his life to fulfilling that promise.Armin needs to overcome a trauma from the past and his fear of people before living his life the fullest.These two orphans - a boy with anger issues and a tough look, and a boy with a dream of the ocean and the outside world - are best friends.
Relationships: Armin Arlert/Eren Yeager, Marco Bott/Jean Kirstein
Series: Attack on Titan [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2209938
Comments: 6
Kudos: 38





	1. CHAPTER 1 - BEGINNING OF A STORY

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is my first fanfiction ever about AOT/SNK, so let me know what you think. Feedback is greatly appreciated. I want to explore both Eren and Armin and how I view their character, especially how they'd act in modern world without taking too much of their canon characteristics away. Possible trigger warnings are at the end of the chapter.

The hot weather grew drops of sweat on Eren’s skin. His track shoes planted against the dry track ground with every step he ran. His heart hammered inside his chest, breathing kept getting harder and faster, and his vision almost blurred out. But he kept on going. As the Sun shone down on his tan skin, his knees grew weaker with every shadow he passed. 

Finally Eren fell down. Pain scratched the skin of his knees and he shut his eyes tight. He inhaled hard, held his breath for a few seconds, then let out a long, almost pained exhale. His throat screamed from its dryness. He almost swore he’d drink anything if he just could, but as a tear of sweat fell down his face, he realized he wouldn’t after all. 

Eren looked up to the sky. His fingernails gripped to his exposed thighs and almost broke through the skin. He wanted to press even more, to draw blood, just to feel the pain. Because when you felt pain, you felt at least something - when you didn’t know what there was to your life, you needed to distract yourself from those painful thoughts and draw your attention to pain outside. 

And Eren thought. 

Was there nothing else to his life than running? Growing stronger each day, or growing weaker? Would he continue the cycle of going to school, walking back home, falling asleep early and exhausted, getting up for school, for the rest of his life? Was he trapped in that small town between the walls with nothing outside? Did his life have no other purpose than the promise he’d given his father?

At least Eren had friends. He had Mikasa, the girl he might’ve as well called his sister, who already waited for him at the side of the track with a cool towel in her hands when Eren got to her.  
“Eren. Are you okay?” she asked in a calm voice. She reached over to his face and wiped his flushed cheeks. “You shouldn’t run too much at once.”   
“I’m not a baby,” Eren muttered as a response and pulled the towel in his own hands. Mikasa didn’t look offended. A neutral expression stayed on her face. Eren continued. “Or your boyfriend, or your brother. Stop worrying so much.”   
“It’s not healthy to do everything so extreme.”   
“I said-”   
“You know I’m right.” Mikasa took the towel back in her hands, softly tugged it away from Eren. He didn’t say anything back this time. A small pout grew on his lips and he looked away, and Mikasa wiped down his jawline and neck with the coarse material. 

Eren knew Mikasa was right. But for once, he wished he’d get to do what he wanted without someone telling him he shouldn’t.

They walked home together. Sun already started to set down and shades of bronze and apricot fell over the streets they passed. Dark shadows loomed under their figures. Both of them should have better things to do than to look at a dawn like it’d be the highlight of their life at the age of 19. 

“Mikasa,” Eren said. Mikasa turned her head to him.   
“Do you ever think we should be somewhere else?” he asked.   
Mikasa stayed silent for a second. She held the towel close to her chest, gripped on it softly, and then talked. “Why?”   
“Doesn’t it get boring? To live here.”   
“Not with you.”   
Eren wanted to take in a deep, deep sigh and let out a frustrated groan at that.   
“I mean- Don’t you wanna see other places? Do you even talk to people, other than me?”   
“Do you?”   
“Mikasa…” 

Both of them talked to Armin. Mikasa talked to more people - she was friends with some girls in their school, as well as boys, and most people swooned at her feet. Eren - almost no one liked Eren like they liked Mikasa. He didn’t talk as much, and when he did, it would be an opinion he couldn’t keep to himself or a burst of rage at either a teacher or a student. 

Of course there were people who liked Eren. Maybe. Was there? Did they all just let him greet them out of pity? Did they really want to hear him ramble about everything he did speak about with them?

So now they both knew the answer. Mikasa had known it already, but only then Eren realized it. 

At home Eren lay down in his bed, in his room, and stared at the ceiling. His blank mind filled with memories of three children running down the streets together. He’d join a girl with long, black hair at the dining table while a boy with pretty blue eyes would show pages of a book about the ocean and the world outside their walls. He’d see a tall woman with raven black hair and golden eyes cutting onion and meat in front of him. She’d turn around and offer the kindest smile to her child; to the boy with bruised, chubby cheeks and ashamed tears in the corners of his eyes. And she’d offer a plate. 

Eren knocked hard against the wall next to his head.   
“Mikasa?” he called out.  
“What?” her feminine, sweet voice echoed from the other room.   
“Teach me how to make rabbit stew.” 

* * *

  
  


“How was the practice yesterday?” 

Armin often asked that from Eren. For some reason Eren had never told Armin he ran alone and only Mikasa was there to accompany him. Whenever Armin would ask if he could come see him, Eren would make up an excuse for him not to come. Why? He never knew the reason. He didn’t realize why he’d lie to his best friend. 

“Okay, I guess,” Eren then said. 

A warm grin grew on Armin’s lips. He brushed his blonde hairs behind his ears, though they soon fell back out and covered half of his chubby cheeks, and his ocean blue eyes stared at Eren with enthusiasm sparkling in them. 

Even though Eren sat in the middle of the class and Armin greatly disliked having too much attention on him, Armin always wanted to talk to Eren before class, after it, and before and after every class in fact. No matter how many people stared at Armin’s lovely hair, tried to figure out what kind of a body Armin had underneath his warm and fuzzy clothing, or said Armin was too nice to be such a close friend to Eren. 

Neither of them ever cared. 

“Did you study for today’s test?” Armin asked.  
“Mikasa made me,” Eren confessed while burying his cheeks inside his hands with a tired look in his eyes, “I wouldn’t have bothered otherwise.”   
“Good thing you did, anyway.” Armin picked up his books and slid his finger between pages of a biology book. “But I know you don’t prepare well, so…”   
A small slice of paper pressed against Armin’s fingertips by his thumb. He subtly slid his hand on Eren’s desk and reached Eren’s hand with his, slipped the paper inside Eren’s fist, and then put his books on the table. 

“You don’t think I prepare well?” Eren huffed out a laugh and carefully tilted the note open in his palm. Around ten formulas were written on it in a neat handwriting.   
“I know you don’t,” Armin smiled and leaned his arms on Eren’s desk, placing his head on them like he’d want to sleep in his warm sweater instead of attending class, “But next time you should study without Mikasa telling you to.”   
“Do I get anything?”   
“Other than a great mood from succeeding on your own?”   
“Yeah.”   
“How about I make dinner for the three of us if you get a good grade on your next test?” Armin glanced at Eren’s hand and the note peeking from it. Eren quickly hid the note. “Without those.”   
“You made it-!” Armin shushed Eren’s lips quickly and Eren shut his mouth as soon as Armin’s eyes locked into his.  
“Next time I won’t. Okay?” 

Eren stared into Armin’s bright eyes. Something in them made Eren want to get through the day, through the day tomorrow and after it, and even more. And with good grades too. “Okay,” he agreed.

Armin returned to his own seat in the left corner of the classroom when the teacher stepped inside the room. Eren gripped the small note between his fingers.

After the test, no matter how small it had been and no matter how quickly they’d gone over it, Eren couldn’t even face his own self. 

Eren didn’t fail the test too hard, but Math had always been a difficult subject for him. He sighed at the sight of a graded paper in his hands. 

Mikasa picked up a chair from an empty desk next to them and placed it in front of Eren’s desk. She sat down and peeked a glance at the test. Eren gave up on hiding it and just let the paper fall on the desk. 

“You probably got, like, a hundred,” Eren muttered in defeat. Mikasa stayed quiet for a good few seconds. She dug out her own test and placed it next to Eren’s. 

A smaller figure ran to the two with excitement clear on his face. A toothy grin garnished Armin’s expression as he crouched down next to Eren and placed his test next to the sheet, too. 

Only then Armin got up and looked at the actual results. 

“Hey… You passed, at least,” Armin tried to comfort Eren with his grin turned into a sweet smile. He pat Eren’s shoulder lightly. Eren groaned.   
“Fifty-six, yeah. You guys-- You got a hundred, Mikasa got ninety-three.” Eren planted his head hard into the desk and let defeat gloom over him. He’d even had a cheat sheet. Still he’d failed worse than he’d any of the three would’ve expected. 

“Math is hard,” Mikasa told Eren.   
“Not to you,” Eren said back.   
“It is hard--” Armin chirped in.   
“Not to you either.” 

To someone watching the situation from the outside, it could’ve seemed like Eren wanted to be an ass at his friends and wanted to make them feel bad for being good. But Armin and Mikasa both knew Eren was proud of them; he just couldn’t handle the annoyance he’d filled with after getting such a low score with a cheat sheet right in his hand. He shook his head, forehead rubbing against the wooden desk under him, and his hands gripped tight in his hair as he groaned loud. 

Mikasa reached her hands into Eren’s soft hair and gently dragged her fingertips through his hairs and against his scalp. He sighed and turned his head enough to see both Armin and Mikasa, his cheek growing red from the pressure of the desk pressing his right cheek. 

“We could study together after school,” Mikasa suggested. Eren’s lips curved into a pout and he turned his gaze to the wall.   
“Jean’s gonna be on my ass about it all day,” he muttered.   
“You shouldn’t care about his opinion that much.”   
“I don’t-! He lives with us, Mikasa! He’s gonna see anyway!”   
“Then-” Mikasa’s sentence got interrupted by Eren raising his head with wide eyes as he continued to ramble.  
“Have you seen his grades? He’s, like, stupid perfect.” 

Mikasa hummed softly. Armin stared at the two of them with an awkward smile hanging on his lips.   
“Sasha probably failed her test,” Mikasa stated. She tightened her grip on Eren’s hair and the boy cried out a painful whine at her strength. She continued. “We’ll study together with her.”   
“I don’t have any money to buy her food.” Eren puckered his lips out. Mikasa let go of his hair and his head almost fell back onto the table, and Armin flinched at the sudden move. Mikasa pulled her dark red scarf over her chin.  
“I’ll buy some. You two need to focus on studying anyway.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TW: Subtle, purposeful hurting at the beginning of the chapter by Eren; nails against skin.


	2. CHAPTER 2 - STUDY GROUP

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eren, Mikasa, Sasha and Jean live together. That means they also study together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Check out my tumblr, @/arminsdrip ! And also, English isn't my first language, so forgive me if there's mistakes in my writing.

Eren. Mikasa. Jean. Sasha. 

Those were the names of the students living together in one, small and shared apartment. Sasha and Mikasa were almost best friends despite not having known for long. Jean and Eren gladly had their hands around each other’s throats before even attempting to make any friendly conversation with one another. 

The corner of Eren’s mouth twitched. Jean laughed his ass off in front of the girls and Eren.  
“Loser! Look at that,” Jean almost wiped tears off his eyes, “Fifty-six. Oh my god.” 

They’d gathered around a kotatsu Mikasa had recently bought - not because anyone necessarily needed it, but because Armin loved to visit them and he always wanted to be warm - and all four had their legs tucked under the warm blanket. 

Jean shook his head with a shit-eating grin on his lips.  
“Guess I have no other choice than to show my test too,” Jean hummed.  
“Literally no one asked,” Eren muttered a response, but Jean didn’t listen. He dug out his own test and placed it right next to Eren’s. Eighty-seven.   
“Fuck,” Eren sighed. He stretched his hands on the table and pushed Jean’s paper back to the horse face’s own hands before planting his head on the wooden surface. 

“At least you didn’t fail,” Sasha joined the conversation with her mouth stuffed full of clementine. Mikasa skimmed more clementines across Sasha.  
“You failed?” Eren asked.  
“Yeah. I don’t understand math,” Sasha hummed. She picked up another clementine after finishing her previous one and started to fill her mouth with it.  
“... That’s your third?”  
“Fourth.”  
“We haven’t even started studying yet.”  
Sasha’s munching stopped for a second, her brown eyes staring wide into Eren’s green, confused ones. She stuffed another piece of the fruit in her mouth.

Mikasa dug out her books and dropped them on the table.  
“Eren, Sasha. Take out your books,” she commanded. Both of them hurried their books out too.  
“Hey, hey-- What about me?” Jean asked.  
“Do you need to study?” Mikasa spared a sharp glance at Jean.  
“No, but I wanna teach. Duh.”  
“You’ll rip Eren’s head off.” Mikasa opened her book. Eren gestured his hands in the air, asking Mikasa _‘what the hell’_ with his eyes, but Mikasa showed no interest. 

“Okay, fair, but-” Jean highlighted the last part- “I can be nice. Promise.”   
“You just want Mikasa’s attention. Piss off.” Eren bent on the table to push Jean’s chest. Jean fell on his back across the table.   
“Hey! I just promised to be nice and you wanna pick up a fight?” Jean stumbled back up on his butt and Eren almost hissed at him. Mikasa nudged Eren’s cheek with her hand.   
“It smells like clementines-!” Eren pushed Mikasa’s hand away from his face. She scoffed. 

“Either you two work together or neither of you will sit at this kotatsu,” Mikasa told the two boys while skipping pages in her book.   
“Fine.” Eren and Jean both said it at the same time. They shared dark glances at each other before Mikasa continued.   
“But you’ll still study, Eren.” She pointed at the corner of the small living room, separating their individual rooms. “There. All alone. And Jean will fly out of the house for the rest of the day.”   
“Huh?! Why me?” Jean resisted.   
“Because I said so and you’ll both listen to me.” Mikasa put down another skimmed clementine and Sasha grabbed it immediately. 

Eren and Jean, though quietly and hesitantly, muttered at the same time. “Fine.” 

Mikasa circled a problem in her notes. Both Eren and Sasha peeked over to have a look at it, their cheeks almost squishing together.   
“Imagine it this way… Marco wants to buy twelve watermelons…” Mikasa started.   
“Hey. Why’d Marco wanna buy twelve watermelons?” Eren asked. Sasha nodded along.   
“Would he share them with me?” Sasha added. 

Mikasa closed her eyes. She inhaled deep, held her breath in for a moment, then exhaled.  
“Marco wants to buy twelve watermelons to share with us.” Both Sasha and Eren followed Mikasa's words now. “Twelve potencies three. Because… He’s buying some for two other classes, too.”   
“He’s so kind,” Eren hummed in an almost admiring voice. Jean threw his pencil at Eren.   
“Hold it,” Jean threatened him. Eren grabbed the pencil and whipped it straight back at Jean with force. It hit Jean’s long nose and bonked to the wall with a yelp escaping Jean’s mouth. Mikasa put her hand on Jean’s chest before the boy could get up from his seat. Eren stuck his tongue out at Jean before turning back to Mikasa with a bright glimpse in his jade eyes. 

Hours rolled by, and they continued to study. Sasha focused more on the food comparisons than the actual problems; Jean kept flipping birds at Eren and showing off his test result; Eren wanted to get up every other minute to throw Jean into a wall; Mikasa tried her best to help everyone when needed, but she’d started to solve problems herself and almost forgotten about Eren constantly nagging at her when he didn’t understand something.

Sunset shone in through the blinders with its beautiful, dim light, and Eren raised his head from the table.   
“Is it over?” he asked. He leaned against Mikasa’s side and let the girl tug him into her chest.   
“You did pretty well. But we still need to study before the next test,” Mikasa told him. 

Jean had fallen asleep in his sitting position across the table. Eren fought a snicker; just when he almost barked out a laugh, Mikasa covered his mouth with her palm.   
“Don’t,” she quietly stated. Eren moved her hand away from his face and sat back up. He stretched his toned arms at the ceiling, and a quiet yawn fell off his lips. Hmm. He’d rather kick Jean awake than let him sleep, as peaceful as he looked, but… 

Eren stood up quietly and gathered his books in his hands. He glanced at Sasha, who’d also fallen asleep, and then at Mikasa.   
“... Did I also fall asleep?” he whispered.   
“Your page has some drool on it now,” Mikasa simply said as she put her own books away. A tight grasp of shame wrenched inside Eren’s chest and he grit his teeth.   
“Sorry.”   
No response. Mikasa stood up and took Eren’s books in her hands.   
“Do you want something to eat?” 

Sasha’s eyes shot open as soon as Mikasa asked the question. She raised her head from the table and looked at Mikasa with wide, hungry eyes and drool dripping from the side of her mouth.   
“Ew! Sasha,” Eren scoffed in a quiet voice and bent over to wipe the corner of Sasha’s mouth with his sleeve. She giggled softly and closed her books while Eren sneaked over to Jean. He slid his arms under Jean’s armpits and settled Jean on his back; then Eren pushed Jean slightly further under the kotatsu and covered his body with the blanket; and then he finally stood up with a sigh. 

Yes, Eren would rather have kicked Jean awake. But he liked the calm moment. 

The quiet autumn evening with Mikasa in the kitchen and Sasha rushing right behind her, with Jean sleeping and Eren finally having rested even for a moment… He wanted to keep it that way.

Eren followed Mikasa and Sasha into the kitchen. Sasha had her chin on Mikasa’s shoulder as Mikasa cut carrots into small pieces. He stopped to stand next to her, his hip pressing against hers, and he took the cutting board and knife from Mikasa. Faint warmth spread over his cheeks and a shy but determined glimpse shone in his eyes.  
“You promised to teach me,” Eren said. His lips pressed shut tight together and he held the knife in his unsteady hand. Mikasa brushed loose, long hairs off Eren’s eyes and slid them behind his ear. Then she wrapped her fingers around his wrist.   
“I’ll teach you,” she promised again, and his hand stopped shaking. 

* * *

_“I’m sorry I couldn’t come.”_

Eren lay secure on his back. The floor underneath him pressed hard against his back and shoulder blades as he slid his free hand under his head. Holding a phone in his other hand, he stared at the empty ceiling.  
“It’s okay. It wasn’t too bad,” Eren closed his eyes, “Would’ve been better with you, though. Maybe Jean wouldn’t have fit in the group.” 

Armin let out an angelic laugh at that. Eren heard slight shifting from the phone, assuming Armin had switched his position or crawled onto the bed. Armin let out a sigh. 

“You’re smiling,” Eren stated.  
 _“What? -How’d you know?”_  
“Your sigh. You know, that _haah_ … You just got under the kitty futon, right?”  
 _“Eren!”_ Armin laughed again and a soft smile curved on Eren’s lips too. _“But yes, you’re right. It’s just so warm.”_  
“I know.” 

Eren’s walls were covered in various posters of different series, animes and movies. Not even one wall had been spared from the decorations. Eren turned to lie on his side, a stinging pain pressing against his hip. He closed his eyes and let the pain sting in his bones while Armin rambled on the phone.  
 _“... and this man told Annie and me that he likes looking at lesbians. Imagine that! After getting all up on my shoulders. It was, uh… I…”_  
“What the fuck?”  
 _“Right? He was so gross. Annie decked his chin, but I still don’t feel any better about it.”_

Eren’s eyes shot open. He crawled up on his elbow and reached for his sketchbook under the bed.  
“Armin, are you two okay now?” He skimmed through the pages of badly drawn flowers, knives and sketches of his friends.  
 _“Yeah. We’re okay. Annie walked me here… I'm going back to the others in a bit.”_  
“Okay. What’d the guy look like?”  
 _“Hm? Why?”_  
“No reason.”  
  
Eren tried to sketch a man’s face on the page while Armin explained.  
 _“Brown hair-- Almost like Marco’s hair. I think he had blue eyes. Really white skin. Kind of wrinkly… --Eren?”_  
“Yeah?” Eren scribbled ugly eyes on the man.  
 _“Why do you want to know?”_  
“No reason, remember? Anyway, do you know his name?”  
 _“Eren.”_  
“What?” Eren wrote down: _‘some ugly dude looking for a beat up,’_ and drew a quick, throwing up face next to the man’s face.  
 _“You’re not gonna try and find him, are you?”_  
“Never. What? Why would I?”  
 _“You’re gonna try and find him.”_  
“Obviously, Armin! What the hell does he think he’s doing, going around and touching people like that? And telling them he likes to watch them? Ew!” 

Armin sighed and Eren’s lips curved into a pout.  
 _“Eren, seriously, it’s okay. You’d just hurt yourself,”_ Armin assured Eren. He could clearly hear the worry through Armin’s voice.  
“He’d get hurt too-”  
 _“You’re not going after him!”_  
“... No?”  
 _“Promise me.”_  
“Uugh…” Eren grit his teeth with a deep inhale. “What if--”  
 _“No.”_  
“Okay, okay. Promise.”

Eren flipped his sketchbook shut and threw it across the room. It flew to the furthest corner with a few stuffed animals lying around, now with a sketchbook added to their hangout group. Eren turned back on his back and skipped his right leg on top of his left knee, and he let out a loud, frustrated sigh.  
 _“That’s not making me change my mind, Eren,”_ Armin told him through the phone.  
Another sigh.  
 _“Annie already showed him his lesson.”_ A soft snicker echoed from the phone. Eren hummed quietly as if he would still doubt Armin’s words, and Armin continued. _“He’d get too scared if you went after him.”_  
“... Would he, now…” Eren’s free hand moved to his hair and he turned strings of his long hairs between his fingertips.  
 _“For sure. What do you think he’d do? Call the police? Maybe he’d be even too scared to do that…”_  
“I mean, yeah. Maybe.” Eren turned on his stomach and leaned his chin into his hand. “I’m pretty strong.”  
 _“You are, you are!”_  
“I work out a lot.”  
 _“You do.”_

A small, pleased smile hung on Eren’s lips and he closed his eyes. A proud wave flashed throughout his chest.  
“Okay, you got me. But he better not do that again-” Eren’s smile fell into a disgusted face- “Or I’ll seriously tear his balls off.”  
 _“I trust you to do that. Promise.”_ A door opened on the phone and Armin promised to be down soon. Eren listened with wide, curious eyes. _“It was grandpa. He made dinner.”_ _  
_“Hey, that reminds me--”  
 _“Let’s talk later, okay?”_ Eren nodded and let out a quiet, agreeing sound. Armin chuckled. _“See you tomorrow, Eren. Love you!”_  
“... Love you too.” 

Armin hung up. Eren’s phone flopped on the floor from his hand. He turned back on his side and let the pain resonate throughout his bones from the bad position. A soft sigh fell off his lips. 

Another day gone by without Eren having done anything with his life. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TW: Mention of verbal harassment by an old man against Annie and Armin, also shoulder touches against Armin.


	3. CHAPTER 3 - P.E.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Armin isn't good with social situations, but there are some people who make him feel welcome.

“Hey, hey, hey, hey, Armin!” 

Armin’s heavy eyes refused to open yet. Quiet mumbles formed inside his throat as he turned his face back into the pillow. 

“Armin! Come on, Armin, come on. Hey. Hey.” 

Stained drool trailed down Armin’s chin and his dry lips gaped slightly open.    
“What?” Armin muttered out a response finally. He lifted his head from the pillow, his blonde hairs stacking up in different directions, and his gaze moved to Connie at the door.    
“Two hours of school! Two hours,” Connie gushed. He jumped from leg to another in his place with a wide smile stuck to his lips. 

“Two hours…” Armin repeated. His empty stare fixed on the pastel yellow wall beside his head. Armin let his heavy head drop back into the pillow underneath and he hid his face into the soft material. “I’m so tired.”    
“Exercise’s gonna help,” Connie stated proudly.    
“I don’t like exercise.”    
“Wha-? Why? It’s so nice! You get to move around and lift stuff!”    
“That’s exactly why…” 

Another person entered Armin’s room. Armin lifted his head back up and looked at the woman at his door through a blurry vision.    
“Annie?” he yawned. Armin sat up and rubbed his eyes. “Can’t you just pretend to be me and go?”   
“No,” Annie stated immediately. She walked over to the bed, already dressed up in gym clothes, and she sat down at Armin’s covered feet. Her toned legs crossed under her figure as she leaned forward to brush the dry drool off Armin’s chin. He let out a quiet, tired whine at that, but not resistant. 

“I honestly always thought you’d be a morning bird,” Connie wondered, “But you’re always the last one to get up.” Connie leaned his back against the door behind him.    
“I thought so too,” Armin confessed. He let Annie comb her fingers through his hairs. “Turns out Eren just wakes up extra late.” 

“Eren? Did you guys live together or what?”   
“No. Mikasa and I always woke him up, though, in elementary and middle school. I’d go to their house before school and we’d walk together.”

“Hmmh.” Connie crossed his arms under his chest and smiled. “Well, you guys always seemed close. No wonder then- Whoa, whoa, whoa!” 

The door behind Connie opened and his figure lapsed backwards. Marco caught Connie - or more like Marco’s chest caught him. Panic shone visibly in Connie’s expression.    
“Knock next time!” Connie breathed out loud as he stood up from Marco’s hands. A quiet, apologetic laugh fell from Marco’s lips.    
“Sorry. You or Annie never knock either, though…” Marco smiled.   
“True,” Armin chirped in. 

Marco continued. “So I thought I’d follow along.” 

Annie already started to tie Armin’s middle-length hair up in a small bun and she wrapped the bun up with her own hair loop. She patted his chubby cheek before finally leaning away.    
“You need to dress up,” Annie stated. Armin ran his fingers on the skin of his nape and grinned at the girl.    
“Thank you,” he thanked her and finally threw the blanket off his legs. A sudden wave of cold shivered throughout his skin and his face fell in discomfort. “... Cold…”    
“It’s literally the sunniest day of this Autumn,” Connie mentioned.    
“Too cold…” Armin shivered again. 

The bed creaked and Annie’s disappearance left a cold, lonely dent in the mattress.    
“Get dressed,” she demanded before walking out of the room. Even though they all had their own separate rooms with a shared kitchen, living room and showers added, for some reason they often gathered around in one’s room to chat. And most often that room happened to be Armin’s. 

Armin didn’t mind it. He liked it. He didn’t need to wake up alone.

* * *

There was a reason why Armin disliked physical education. 

Armin was fine with casually exercising. He liked to lift light weights when chatting with a friend, he liked to help his friends do push-ups and playfully compete with them. 

But when everyone took the exercise seriously, Armin almost always scored last in everything. Especially since he was with the boys. 

Armin stretched his hands to his toes. Sitting down in a circle with other guys while waiting for a few groups of girls to be ready changing, they'd decided to stretch before Keith would appear in the gym hall. 

They'd gotten a chance to work out with the girls and, of course, they'd taken it. 

“I'm so done with this,” Armin whined and let his arms fall between his spread legs. 

Jean and Marco stretched like professionals in front of Armin. Marco released the tips of his gym shoes from his hands and smiled gently at Armin.   
“At least you can reach your toes. That's already impressive,” Marco encouraged him. Armin smiled awkwardly back at the freckled boy. Armin wasn't bad at exercise, but… Well, maybe… 

“Doesn't it get hot to exercise with long hair like that?” Jean asked, pointing his finger at Armin's middle-length cut tied to the back. Armin tightened the small bun.  
“Hm? No, not really,” he hummed. He nudged the small bun between his fingers and smiled at Jean. “If I'd keep it open, it'd get hotter.”   
“Hmm.” Jean rubbed his chin in thought. “But why doesn't Mikasa tie her hair up?”   
“I don't know. She probably likes it open.” 

Armin stretched his arms up at the ceiling and a quiet, humming sound formed inside his throat at the relaxing feeling inside his muscles.   
“Does Eren ever keep his hair open?” Jean asked. Armin's curious blue eyes locked into Jean's narrow ones. Jean continued, clearly embarrassed. “I mean— Since you two are, like, friends and all. So you gotta know.” 

Armin lowered his hands and rubbed his wrists.   
“He does, yeah. He ties it up in most public places,” Armin casually replied. Jean nodded his head along. “Why?”   
“Aahg, just— Just, I dunno.” Jean rubbed the side of his head while looking away.   
“I think it suits him. He should keep it open too,” Marco smiled and crossed his legs under his figure. He glanced at Jean. “Don't you think?”   
“I guess,” Jean muttered. “My mom likes to do different hairstyles and I thought, uh- She gave me some stuff I don’t need, and I kinda missed out on Eren’s birthday or whatever, so…”

Armin's heart melted. An angelic smile grew on his lips and his eyes sparkled with enthusiasm.   
“Are you two becoming friends?” he asked.  
“What? Ew. No,” Jean quickly stated with a shake of his head.   
“But it's been a few months since his birthday.”   
“I know. Just—” 

Eren, being late as always, finally opened the gym hall's door. Jean was the first one to open his mouth.   
“Hey loser! I'm gonna beat your scores again,” Jean shouted at Eren. Eren's expression immediately turned into a competitive frown.   
“Bring it, horseshit!” Eren flipped his hand in the air, telling Jean to give all he's got, before Eren walked to the side and dropped his bag next to the wall. 

Armin let out an awkward laugh.   
“... Why are you two like this…” Armin sighed, rubbing his forehead. Marco tried not to let out a laugh, but his smile was as sweet as ever. 

Others gathered in the gym hall too, now, dressed up in their gym clothes and grouping up in their usual friend groups. Connie sat at the side with his knees pulled close to his chest, but as soon as Sasha appeared from the girl’s dressing room, Connie shot up in an instant. Even Jean got up and sprinted to the two friends. Armin’s eyes followed Jean. A wave of warmth spread inside his chest at the sight of Jean, Connie and Sasha all grouping up in a hug. 

“If we need to work in pairs, do you want to be my pair?” Marco asked. Armin flipped his head back to Marco’s direction and nodded.    
“Yes, please!” Armin immediately agreed. Marco let out a sweet laugh. A light, red flush arose on Armin’s cheeks and he rubbed the side of his neck with an awkward smile growing on his lips. “... Eren and Mikasa are way too good at sports, and you’re really patient, so…”    
“It’s okay, Armin,” Marco smiled and reached over to put his hand on Armin’s shoulder. Almost an angelic aura washed over Marco’s figure in Armin’s eyes. “Jean is too competitive with Eren and I like to take things easy. We’ll do great together, okay?”    
“O-Okay!” Armin promised with another determined nod. 

A pair of arms wrapped around Armin’s shoulders from behind. Armin flinched and almost shrieked out loud. Someone’s head popped to lie on his shoulder, and Armin glanced down to see Eren looking up at him with bright, beautiful eyes.    
“Eren! You almost gave me a heart attack,” Armin scoffed, faint blush spreading through his cheeks. A cat-like, pleased grin grew on Eren’s lips and he snorted out a laugh.    
“Sorry,” Eren said clearly without meaning it and raised his head. “Marco-! Uh, hi.”    
“Good morning,” Marco smiled at Eren. Armin could feel the brunette’s fastened heartbeat against his shoulder blades. He smiled and nudged Eren’s side gently with his elbow so Eren realized to finally get up. 

“Are you two a pair?” Eren asked, gesturing between Marco and Armin.    
“Yeah,” Armin nodded and Eren took a step back.    
“Okay. I’ll go ask Mikasa, then. Bye, Armin!” Armin watched Eren skip his way to Mikasa, to the opposite side of the gym hall, and a quiet sigh fell off his lips. He looked back at Marco. 

“I don’t see him often like that,” Marco mentioned. Armin’s brows quirked up.    
“Like what?”    
“So… hm. Bouncy, I think.” Marco scratched his nape and kindly smiled. “He’s always so down. But I noticed how seeing you made him happy.”    
“Oh.” A ticklish feeling grew in Armin’s stomach. He hid his mouth behind his hand and let out a sheepish laugh. “W-Well, we’ve been friends forever, and he’s not really social, so- so… Seeing me, um…”   
“Did I make you embarrassed? I’m sorry-”    
“To be honest, I think he has a crush on you or something! Or-!”    
“Hm?” Though Marco seemed curious, he didn’t look offended or weirded out at all.

Armin hadn’t known how to react and he’d started to talk nonsense. Fear consumed his eyes.

Armin tried to stutter out an explanation.    
“I- I mean, you’re-- You’re always so kind to everyone, not like Jean, and-- And, I know you’re not friends with Eren, really, but--”    
“Armin. Calm down.” Marco pat Armin’s thigh reassuringly, and Armin’s heart almost skipped a beat. Marco’s welcoming, deep brown eyes glimmered with beauty and warmth. “So he wants to be friends?”    
Armin froze. “... Yes,” he admitted like a gun would be held to his head.    
“You’re a good friend, Armin,” Marco told him. 

To Marco, or to Eren? Armin held in a desperate sigh. Why couldn’t he just relax?

Great. Sit ups. 

Armin’s ankles locked between Marco’s palms.    
“I’m not too good at this,” Armin warned Marco with a light laugh and Marco shook his head.    
“Give it your best and that’s all that matters,” Marco encouraged him. Did Marco have godly wings behind him just now? Was his whole figure highlighted by a bright aura, or did Armin just imagine things in a bliss? Armin nodded, and Marco nodded in return. 

Glancing to the side, Armin could see Mikasa holding Eren’s ankles and Sasha holding Jean’s. Apparently Sasha, Connie and Jean had all wanted to be in a group - Jean couldn’t pair up with Marco - so they’d grouped up together. Connie had his arms wrapped around Sasha’s waist, as if he’d help Sasha to hold Jean still with that at all. 

“Jean! Jean! Hey, Jean,” Eren tried to catch Jean’s attention.    
“I’m right next to you, stupid,” Jean groaned, “What?”    
“I did fifty-six sit ups last time.”    
“I did fifty-nine.”    
“What the fuck?”

A victorious grin grew on Jean’s lips, and Eren was left speechless, before Jean turned to Sasha and Connie. Mikasa pressed a fillip on Eren’s forehead. He winced.    
“Should I do this first?” Mikasa asked in a neutral tone, and Eren immediately shook his head.    
“No, no, no- Me! Me.” He spread his knees a little to get his hands on Mikasa’s wrists. Armin could read from his lips he didn’t want Jean to know.    
“... That I can do more than you-?” Mikasa asked and Eren slapped his hand on Mikasa’s lips. Luckily - for Eren, Armin assumed - Jean was too busy bullying Connie and his poor attempt of helping Sasha. 

Armin sighed.    
“Thanks for being my pair,” Armin glanced at Marco. Marco held back a smile. 

Armin lay down on his back, so did the other students ready to take the test, and the timer was set. With every sit Armin managed to do, Marco counted along and occasionally encouraged the blonde boy. Armin couldn’t even focus on Eren and Jean almost fighting each other while rushing the sit ups. 

“Armin. Have you ever been to a mixer?” Marco asked. Armin’s hard breathing made it difficult to talk, so he could only shake his head while continuing to lie down and sit up repeatedly.    
“I’m going to one tomorrow with Jean. There’ll be some other people too, let me think… I think Annie, Ymir and Historia will be there. Reiner and Bertholdt, too.”    
“Hah-- Bert--?” Armin tried to say between his breaths. Marco smiled, telling Armin not to force himself to talk.    
“Jean wanted to ask Mikasa to be there, too. And I thought it could be fun if you and Eren could come along.” 

The timer rang and Armin fell flat on his back, panting hard and his heart violently hammering inside his chest. 

“Youh, you, ah…” Armin tried to talk again. His guts winced with pain and a taste of iron filled his tongue. “Want me, there…?”    
“You don’t have to,” Marco immediately comforted Armin. He helped Armin to sit back up by pulling the blonde’s wrists. “Also, you did forty-one sit ups. Good job, Armin!” 

Armin’s weak torso almost gave up on him right there. He wiped sweat off his forehead and let out a heavy sigh.    
“I’ll think about it,” Armin finally said. Marco smiled and reached his hand to Armin’s shoulder once again. Armin offered an exhausted smile back. 

Meanwhile Eren and Jean still had their banter on. Apparently they’d managed to do just as many sit ups - both had got to fifty-nine this time - and Armin’s head already hurt just from hearing them throw competitive insults at each other.    
“Are you sure you can hold me up?” Marco asked while he settled down to sit on his butt. “You seem really tired.”    
“I can-! I can, yeah.” Armin held his hands on Marco’s ankles, staring at his weak hands and Marco’s freckled skin. He didn’t want to fail Marco’s expectations. Marco had sat through Armin’s desperate attempt of exercising and he’d make sure to help Marco through his own, too. 

Armin wrapped his legs around Marco’s ankles and sat on the man’s feet. 

Marco laughed.    
“Works like this, too,” he admitted and lay on his back. Armin wrapped his arms around Marco’s calves and pressed his chin on the man’s freckled, sharp knees.    
“You’re so warm,” Armin muttered and snuggled his cheek against Marco’s skin, exhausted and already willing to go back to sleep. Marco let out a sheepish laugh. Only then Armin realized to pick up his head and quickly apologize to Marco.    
“Don’t be sorry. You can rest after school, am I right?” Marco winked his eye and moved his hands behind his head. 

The timer was set and Armin, baffled, almost forgot to start counting Marco’s sit ups.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Everyone loves Marco. Maybe that should be the name of this fic. Also, Jean and Eren share that clown communication between each other - they're friendly about each other to other people but would slam dunk each other whenever they have to face one another in real life.
> 
> Armin is intrigued about the mixer - it could be his chance of socializing, it could maybe even ease his fears about social situations. But will he go and who would join him? Hmm...
> 
> No trigger warnings added for this chapter.


End file.
